Parents protesting against ‘unjustified’ fee hike by Gurgaon schools may get some relief from the report, which was due in March this year

Parents protesting against fee hikes by such schools are expecting some relief from the report.(Parveen Kumar/HT File Photo)

The audit report of several private schools in the city is expected to be released next week. Parents protesting against fee hike by such schools are expected to get some relief from the report that was due in March.

Several city schools were allegedly violating the rules under Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliation bylaws and Haryana School Education Rules, 2003.

Divisional commissioner D Suresh, who is also the chairman of the Fee and Fund Regulatory Committee (FFRC), had in March directed several city schools not to demand an advance fee and only charge fee as per the heads mentioned in Form 6, but schools allegedly violated the orders.

Form 6 is to be filed by a school with the education department within a stipulated time. It contains details of the fee the school charges. A majority of the city’s schools mention charging a monthly fee in their forms, but actually charge a quarterly fee with several additional charges.

Parents have already deposited the fee of the current academic year and admissions are over.

By next week, the district administration expects to receive the audit report of the schools that had raised the fees for the current year and the divisional commissioner will order the schools to refund the amount charged in excess of what was declared in Form 6.

“We are expecting to receive the audit report next week. It will clear the air regarding the issue of fee hike across the city. Whatever has been mentioned in Form 6 will be considered as the final declaration from the schools. We will issue orders to the schools to refund the amount that is not mentioned in Form 6,” said Suresh.

On May 12, an order was passed under Rule 158A of the Haryana School Education (Amendment) Rules, 2014 that an inquiry be conducted by the additional deputy commissioner (ADC) along with district education officials regarding the issues. It added that an audit of the school concerned be carried out by the auditor already engaged in this behalf by the FFRC under the overall supervision of the ADC.

The FFRC is empowered to conduct an independent audit of all financial details of the school against which the complaint is filed.

In April, various parents’ associations united and involved experts from all fields to raise their voice against the fee hike they found unjustified. These groups have, however, said that their complaint is against arbitrary and illegal fee hike and not about what corresponds with Form 6.

“We have been hearing the same thing since April and, despite tall claims, no action was taken against schools. Parents have already deposited the fee and many had to take a loan to pay the annual charges,” said Bhupinder Singh, representative of the Haryana chapter of All India Parents Forum for Education (AIPFE).

“Despite formulation of good policies, there is no implementation,” he added.

“The schools have violated various rules under the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003 and (of the) CBSE. The schools were asked not to increase fees without consulting the parents’ association, but most schools do not have a formal parents’ association. Despite this violation, no action was taken and parents had to suffer by paying the unjustified fee hike,” said Yashesh Yadav, a parent.